Looking for a Couple's Resort
I am currently looking for a couple's resort for vacation. I have already visited Caesars. -- Ally, Philadelphia
Dear Ally,
The good news is that you'll find many resorts especially geared to couples. The island of Jamaica is home to a huge selection including four Couples Resorts and seven Sandals resorts. Both are aimed at couples and are all-inclusive (covering your transportation to the resort, meals, drinks, tips, etc).
Two of the Couples Resorts are located in Ocho Rios, about 90 minutes east of the Montego Bay airport. Couples Ocho Rios is being relaunched this spring as Couples Tower Isle and has just wrapped up a big renovation. Couples Sans Souci has a very nice spa. In Negril, Couples Negril is located on Bloody Bay on a great stretch of beach; Couples Swept Away is on the main Negril Beach and has some of the most extensive sports facilities in Jamaica (maybe in the Caribbean). We stayed at Couples Swept Away last spring and had a wonderful time. Couples Resorts don't offer reciprocal privileges at other Couples resorts but they do offer several free tours and excursions at each property; all you have to do is sign up and then hop a bus to a top attraction in the area.
Sandals resorts are located in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Negril and on the South Coast. The Ocho Rios properties are Sandals Dunn's River which is a high-rise and Sandals Grande Ocho Rios, which is a two-part property (one side is primarily villas with several per unit, the beach side is more of a traditional resort). In Montego Bay, we love Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals Montego Bay (which is super convenient to the airport if you've got a short stay). Sandals Inn in Montego Bay is not on the beach but is the least expensive of all the properties; all you have to do is hop a free Sandals shuttle to head to one of the beach properties. In Negril, Sandals Negril has some beautiful, newly designed rooms on the main stretch of Negril Beach. On the South Coast, Sandals Whitehouse is one of our favorites; the property is huge and has many dining and entertainment options. Sandals offers reciprocal privileges at other Sandals with free transportation to those in the area (so in Montego Bay, you'll have access to restaurants, bars, and entertainment at three properties).
Lots of great choices...happy travels! Paris and John
Labels: all-inclusive resort, couples resorts, Jamaica
posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 12:04 PM
Sexy Getaway Ideas in Mexico, Jamaica
This week, we've had two questions from readers looking to spice up their travels:
My fiancee and I want to take an erotic vacation June 09 but we are not interested in swinging but a more personal erotic experience. We were thinking Mexico but any ideas you can forward would be great.
My wife of 30 years and I are planning our first vacation without kids. The idea of clothing optional beaches and pools is something we've never done, but would like to try. PJ parties and fun entertainment is also an interest. Good food a must, casino a plus and to make it even harder we have somewhat of a budget. Where should we go. Any ideas? Thanks so much.
You'll find quite a few properties that fit the bill for a sexy vacation with clothing optional beaches and an adults-only atmosphere.
In the past few years, Mexico has become home to a growing number of such all-inclusive properties including
Temptation Resort Spa with locations in Cancun (formerly Blue Bay Resort) and Los Cabos. The resorts have a topless-optional policy at the pools and offer sexy activities such as "
Sensual Fitness" classes for women with workouts that include lap dancing, pole dancing, etc. Both have fine dining, on-site spas, and other upscale offerings.
A less-clothed option is
Desire Resorts with locations on the Riviera Maya and Los Cabos. These are both clothing-optional, all-inclusive adult resorts with evening activites such as PJ and lingerie night or a strip tease contest.
In Jamaica, Hedonism II (Negril) and Hedonism III (near Runaway Bay) are both popular all-inclusive options. Hedonism II has the highest repeat rate among Caribbean hotels with a nude (not clothing-optional) beach as well as a "prude" beach, nude pool, bar and grill, and sexy evening entertainment. Hedonism III has similar features and more elaborate guest rooms. Hedonism resorts include a game room with slots, electronic poker, etc. (At this time, there are no casinos in Jamaica but that might change soon.) For more on Hedonism resorts, see our
special Hedonism section.
As for budget, the time of year you visit will have a lot to do with the amount you pay. Summer and fall are the least expensive seasons (due to hurricane season which runs June 1 - November 30). You'll find the cheapest rooms during the height of hurricane season (August-September) and ask about hurricane guarantees. We know that SuperClubs offers a hurricane guarantee in case your vacation is interrupted by a storm.
Happy travels!
Labels: clothing-optional, Jamaica, Mexico
posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 12:15 PM
01229: Tour Advice for Cayman, Jamaica Cruise
Dear Lovetripper,My husband and I are taking a cruise in April and visiting Grand Cayman and Jamaica. What suggestions do you have for our tours of Grand Cayman? I know my husband wants to visit Hell and also wants to snorkel. We've never been to either island before. We are a little worried about hassling in Jamaica. Thanks!Thanks for your email. We’d suggest renting a taxi in Grand Cayman to take you to Hell, wait for you while you walk around and take some pictures (there’s not a lot to see there) then continue on to the turtle farm (where there is more do). If you don’t plan to snorkel at the turtle farm, you can probably budget about an hour or so at the turtle farm so the taxi driver could wait for you then take you to Seven Mile Beach and drop you off. From Seven Mile Beach, you’ll easily be able to get a taxi back to the dock from one of the hotels.
Is your cruise going into Montego Bay or Ocho Rios? If it’s your first time, we’d suggest going with a tour. There’s a lot to see at both Montego Bay and Ocho Rios. If you like history, Rose Hall plantation house in Montego Bay is very interesting; you take a guided tour of the home and it’s very relaxed (no hassling as no one can come on property that’s not on a tour.) Greenwood Great House in Montego Bay is also interesting.
In Ocho Rios, there are some nice garden areas; there’s also a very nice tour of Walkerswood Foods. It’s located on plantation grounds outside of town; they do a nice tour of the gardens then the factory. There’s a casual restaurant there and it’s nice and quiet with no hassling. We visited there in November and really enjoyed it.
Labels: Cayman Islands, Jamaica
posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 8:23 AM
01209: Long Weekend Getaway Ideas from Florida
My boyfriend will be home on leave in May and I'd like to plan a three-day getaway for us. I live in Miami. We're very active and enjoy outdoor sports. Do you have any ideas for us? Thanks!Thanks for your email; how romantic that you’re planning a getaway for the two of you on your boyfriend’s return! You’re located in a good city for getaways whether you’d like to drive or fly. Here are a few suggestions for a long weekend:
- The Keys. Hop in the car and head south to Key West; there’s a small town, island atmosphere here with fun bars and restaurants downtown. Hemingway’s home is just a few blocks away and you can end the day watching the sunset, a real Key West experience. Some of the other Keys are also popular; there are some very nice resorts (albeit pricey, such as Little Palm Island). Key West has a variety of price ranges for accommodations.
- St. Petersburg. The Don Cesar Hotel is a favorite with romantics; it’s an historic hotel that’s often compared to a wedding cake.
- The Bahamas. It’s just a short trip to either Grand Bahama or Nassau. Grand Bahama is closer and smaller; the biggest resort there is the Westin Our Lucaya. There’s a beautiful beach on Grand Bahama, some markets, gardens, swimming with dolphins, etc. Nassau is home to Atlantis Resort with a huge casino, waterpark, lots of restaurants, etc. Nassau has some very historic spots, dolphin swims, gardens, and good duty free shopping.
- Jamaica. It’s a little further but you’ll find numerous all-inclusives in Jamaica if you’d like to go that route. May’s an economical time; you’ll miss high season which ends in mid-April. Each resort area has attractions: Dunn’s River Falls, Rose Hall plantation house, lots of snorkeling, bike tours, ATV tours, etc.
- Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is one of the most economical places in the Caribbean. It also has many all-inclusives in all price ranges and many ecotourism activities: hiking, biking, snorkeling, scuba, etc.
If you’re thinking of something further afield, just let us know but we tried to think of places you could squeeze into a long weekend. Happy travels! Paris & John
Labels: Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Florida, Jamaica
posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 8:12 AM
Suggestions for a Surfing Beach
Hello, saw your website and we were wondering if you had any ideas on great beaches - my husband and son love to body surf - we were thinking of going to los cabos but have heard you can't really get in the ocean because of undertow and rocks - we have been to Cancun 5 times and don't want to go there - any suggestions?We're not surfers but we've heard good things about Rincon, Puerto Rico; Aruba (good for surfing and windsurfing pretty much year around); and Boston Bay, Jamaica (near Port Antonio on the east end of the island...it's pretty remote for travelers from Ocho Rios, Montego Bay or Negril). Aruba's very family-friendly and has a wide variety of difficulty levels with the most challenging waters on the Atlantic side on the calmer seas on the Caribbean side.
Happy travels!! Paris and John
Labels: Aruba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico
posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 10:28 AM
Ideas for Romantic Jamaica Getaway
I'm looking for a getaway with my boyfriend in Jamaica. Do you have some ideas? Jamaica’s a great destination for romantics; you’ll find a huge number of romantic resorts from which to choose. Some factors to consider:
Do you have limited time? If your trip will just be three or four nights, minimize your travel time by booking a resort close to Montego Bay, the city into which your flight will arrive. Other resort areas are close to two hours from Montego Bay which will cut back on your beach time!
Are you watching your budget? All-inclusives can be a great way to go so you know how much to budget for the trip...no surprises in terms of transfers, tips, drinks, etc. Some of the top all-inclusive resort chains in Jamaica are Sandals (couples only), SuperClubs (check out the Breezes properties), and Couples (also couples only). Riu also has very reasonable all-inclusives on the island (although they also attract many families.)
Do we want a couples-only or adults-only resort? Good couples only choices are Sandals (many locations on the island; check out Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay for luxury, Sandals Montego Bay for the absolute closest location to the airport, or Sandals Inn for the lowest prices) and Couples (two locations each in Ocho Rios and Negril.) Adults-only choices include the always popular, somewhat wild Hedonism II and III (II is in Negril and is on a great beach; III is in Runaway Bay east of Montego Bay and is newer.)
Labels: all-inclusive resort, Jamaica
posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:27 PM
